i'm steve sanders. and i'm dina bair. we welcome our viewers who are watching us around the country on wgn america and on the web. >> all is quiet at the junior high school. teachers are picketing. classes are also canceled. with no new talks scheduled, this break may last a while. >> with no school for over 1800 kids, there is ample time to walk dogs as teachers walked the picket line. many parents support the unions fight with blue ribbons on display outside homes. dealing with the district's first ever strike is an inconvenient development. >> you never think that you have to worry about a strike. >> talks have been ongoing since april. both sides emerged disappointed. >> we're very sorry. we stayed at the table as long as we could. we're very disappointed. we wanted to see the children in school. we asked them to please stay. >> the teachers went on strike at midnight. the sticking points include health insurance retirement benefits, salary issues. >> it is imperative that we get those children back and their seats. t